


Sharp, Sweet

by CherryNoriaki_Writes



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Cooking Lessons, Dealing with anxiety, FFXV Minibang 2019, Like REALLY bad knife puns, M/M, knife puns
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:29:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22024849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CherryNoriaki_Writes/pseuds/CherryNoriaki_Writes
Summary: "Just a sec!" he calls, hefting the heavy bags under his arms. He totters over to the kitchen, taking care not to spill any of their much-needed food, and deposits the bags on the counter. He lingers, unsure of himself. Gladio has gone to get firewood, and Noct has retreated into the tent for a pre-dinner nap. He's weighing his options - stay and be in Iggy's way, or leave to be alone with his thoughts - when Ignis clears his throat."Prompto? Did you...want to help with dinner?"(Or: How Prompto Argentum found love through food)
Relationships: Prompto Argentum/Ignis Scientia
Comments: 10
Kudos: 75
Collections: FFXV Minibang 2019





	Sharp, Sweet

**Author's Note:**

> First fic in a new fandom! This was written for the 2019 FFXV Minibang, with a GORGEOUS piece of matching art done by the fabulous @november_comes over on Twitter. Go check it out, and thanks so much for reading!

I.

The first time Ignis sets up his portable kitchen, Prompto keeps a safe distance. He watches as Ignis sets water to boil, lines up his utensils, tests the sharpness of new knives, all with the care and attention of a man who's confident in his craft. Prompto's never cooked anything in his life, unless you count pushing buttons on a microwave, so he hangs back and observes. 

He watches as Noct bounces over to the makeshift kitchen, leaning his head on Ignis while they chat in hushed tones. The two of them seem so peaceful, Prompto thinks, so content and at ease and...right. They fit like a puzzle, and when Gladio hollers a joke over to them from where he's setting up the tent, it's clear that he's their final piece. It's sweet to watch, but he wonders why it makes his chest ache.

_ Well, maybe that's the binder, _ he thinks, absentmindedly scratching under his shirt.

"Prompto? Could you bring me the groceries, please? If I don't feed Gladio soon, he'll spoil his dinner with beef jerky!"

Oh. Right. He's still holding the groceries. "Just a sec!" he calls, hefting the heavy bags under his arms. He totters over to the kitchen, taking care not to spill any of their much-needed food, and deposits the bags on the counter. He lingers, unsure of himself. Gladio has gone to get firewood, and Noct has retreated into the tent for a pre-dinner nap. He's weighing his options - stay and be in Iggy's way, or leave to be alone with his thoughts - when Ignis clears his throat.

"Prompto? Did you...want to help with dinner?"

"Oh, Six, no!" It comes out much too loud, a defensive shriek, and Ignis cocks an eyebrow at him. "I mean, uh, I've never done it. Cooked, I mean. I can barely boil water for Cup Noodles, dude. I'd probs just be in the way."

_ Yeah, duh, you'd just make an ass of yourself like you always do. _

"Well, if you ever decide you want to learn, you're more than welcome to join me. There's always plenty of room in my kitchen." Ignis gives him a warm smile, a quick hair ruffle, and turns to sort through his ingredients for the evening.

_ Gods, _ Prompto thinks,  _ why does he have to be so sweet? _

II.

A week later, they make camp near the Vesperpool. They'd managed to survive a run-in with a small herd of chickatrice, which means oyakodon for dinner. Prompto hasn't seen Noct smiling this much in ages - he watches his best friend crawl into the tent for his customary nap, but not before giving an enthusiastic shout of "Wake me for dinner, Specky!"

Prompto flops down on the ground near the pop-up kitchen, watching Gladio work through his nightly squats routine with equal parts envy and interest. Gladio catches him staring and winks, and Prompto hopes his blush is hidden in the dim light of the campfire.

_ Wish I looked like that. Wish I was that confident. Wish people wanted me. _

He turns his attention instead to Ignis, who is pouring rice into a pot with one hand while stirring chickatrice and garlic around in a sautè pan with the other. He makes it look effortless. Graceful, Prompto thinks, like an artist. Ignis sprinkles various seasonings over the chickatrice, humming under his breath as he goes, and lifts his eyes to meet Prompto's over the counter.

"If you're not terribly busy," he says, "I could use an assistant in the kitchen this evening."

Prompto's on his feet and at Ignis's side in an instant, nervous energy making him bounce in place. 

"Do you know how to chop vegetables?"

"Uhhhhh I think I sliced up a carrot one time," Prompto replies, rubbing the back of his neck. "Not exactly a knife wizard like you, but I can probably do a little."

Ignis chuckles. "I'm sure you'll do just fine, love."

He shows Prompto the correct way to hold a knife, how to tuck his fingers to avoid injury, and puts him to work dicing onions. It's...nice, Prompto thinks as he runs his knife through the veggies. It feels good to be useful, and it's not as hard as he expected it to be. By the time the chickatrice is mostly cooked, he's managed to chop a full onion and is working on a second one.

"'S not as pretty as when you do it," he mumbles, keeping his eyes fixed firmly on the cutting board. "Sorry."

_ It looks like shit, Argentum. Now he'll never let you back in the kitchen. _

"Nonsense, Prompto, it looks perfectly fine. Besides, the flavor is far more important than how it looks. Don't you agree?"

A sigh. "Yeah, I s'pose. Still wish it looked like yours, though."

"Hmm." Ignis rests his chin in his hand and looks at Prompto thoughtfully. "Well, I'd be happy to give you some pointers, if you don't mind a...a more hands-on approach, shall we say?"

Prompto nods and sets his knife down, expecting Ignis to take over. Instead, Ignis moves to stand directly behind him, hovering his hands over Prompto's.

"May I?"

Another shaky nod. Ignis holds Prompto's right hand in his own, long fingers curling around to rest near the ever-present wristband. He moves their clasped hands across the cutting board, slowly going through the motions of chopping.

"You want to rock your hand back and forth like this," he explains. "If you hold your food steady and work your knife from one end to the other, you'll get a more even chop. Shall we try it together?" Prompto lets out a noise of agreement and picks the knife back up, carefully chopping the rest of the onion while Ignis's hand rests gently over his own. By the end of it, his onion slices are looking much more uniform, and Ignis is humming pleased noises in his ear.

"Excellent work, Prompto! I'm impressed with how quickly you picked that up."

Prompto blushes bright red, all the way to the tips of his ears. "Th-thanks, Iggy."

"I might even say," Ignis continues, "that your knife skills...make the cut."

A beat, and Prompto lets out a long-suffering groan. "Dude, come ooooooon."

III.

Over the next few weeks, Prompto’s emotions start to match his sunny exterior. His cooking lessons with Ignis become a regular occurrence; he learns to dice and julienne, bake and saute, and even the proper cooking methods for various cuts of meat. He loves learning his way around the kitchen - and learning how to impress Noct and Gladio with his new skills - but most of all, he loves the way Ignis looks at him. He loves the hands hovering over his own as a guide, the beaming smile when he does something right, the steady stream of chitchat while they prep ingredients for the next meal.

He loves…

"Iggy!" Gladio yells from nearby. "There's a bunch o' berries over here, you could try making that tart for Princess again."

They're at the market square in Lestallum; Gladio and Noct have taken to wandering while Ignis peruses his usual stall for fresh vegetables. Prompto hovers near his elbow, clutching a reusable shopping bag and scrutinizing the various options. Ignis is letting him take the lead for once, and he’s determined to make the most of it by showing off what he’s learned.

"This eggplant looks pretty good," he says, taking one from the table and hefting it in his hands. "Whatcha think about grabbing it for stir fry? We can use up the rest of that rice from last time.”

Ignis nods his approval, reaching for his wallet as Prompto adds a few more fruits and veggies to their bag. He pays the vendor and turns away, leading Prompto back into the busy crowd of weekend shoppers.

"You're getting quite good at this, little one." Prompto flushes, both at the nickname and the hand Ignis places on his lower back, steering him towards the rest of their party. "I daresay your culinary skills will soon surpass mine."

"Yeahhh, I dunno about that. Nobody's as good as Head Chef Iggy!" He giggles, but it dies in his throat when he sees Ignis gazing at him intently. "Uh...what's up?"

"I'm just...proud of you." Prompto's steps falter, and confused shoppers push past them as they stop in the middle of the crowded market. "You've come so far since I started teaching you, and it's been such a joy to watch you improve and channel your energy in the kitchen, and...are you alright, darling?"

Prompto inhales deeply, biting his lip and fighting back the tears that are threatening to spill. 

_ Don't fall apart now, dipshit. _

"...if you make me cry in the middle of the farmers market, I'll literally never forgive you."

Ignis laughs, producing a handkerchief from seemingly nowhere and offering it to Prompto, who shakes his head.

"Nah, dude, it's fine, I just...thanks, Iggy, that means a lot.  _ You _ mean a lot. I mean I...you... _ wow, _ I suck at talking about my feelings." 

"That's quite alright," Ignis says with a smile, reaching down to take Prompto's hand in his own. "I taught you all those knife tricks, didn't I? We'll just have to work on public speaking next." 

"Hey!"

“We’ll need to  _ sharpen _ your communication skills to ensure they’re a  _ cut _ above the rest-”

“Please stop-”

“-wouldn’t want you taking any  _ stabs _ in the dark, now.”

“Iggyyyyy!”

They burst into laughter, swinging their clasped hands between them as they rejoin the crowd, Gladio and Noct waving to them in the distance.

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on Twitter @cherryynoriaki, where I mostly post about Final Fantasy and JJBA. Feel free to come chat with me, and leave a comment here if you wanna!


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